Spectacle vs. Substance:What Makes Great Theater Today?

What makes a performance truly unforgettable?

ArtsEmerson has long presented work that surprises audiences, pushes the boundaries of form, and challenges expectations of what theater can be. Today, artists are continuing to expand those possibilities—from circus and opera to drag, dance, immersive experiences, digital performance, and forms that defy easy categorization. But whether a production dazzles with extraordinary scale or captivates with a single performer on an empty stage, what transforms an experience into great theater? This conversation brings together artists and thinkers from across the performing arts to explore the roles of spectacle, storytelling, innovation, and human connection—and to ask what makes theater resonate with us today.